Demonstrators in Homer and across the country protested against the Dakota Access Pipeline on Nov. 15.
Bob Shavelson with the nonprofit Cook Inletkeeper attended the protest at WKFL Park in Downtown Homer. He said the Standing Rock issue is part of the larger problem of climate change.
“From a larger context, it’s about climate change and ocean acidification. And those are affecting all life forms on the planet," said Shavelson.
"We can just look in the backyard here and we’re seeing our clams are gone, our sea stars are wasting, murres are dying, puffins are dying, we’re seeing radical changes right here in just the past several years, and scientists are linking that to global warming, so we need to pay attention to that, get off fossil fuels, and move to renewable fuels as soon as we can,” said Shavelson.
The pipeline is located near the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota.
The tribe says the pipeline is a threat to their water supply and construction threatens sacred sites. The federal government has halted construction, but the companies building the pipeline have asked a federal court to let them complete the project.
About a half-dozen people erected signs that read “In Solidarity with Standing Rock” and “People over Pipelines".
Suraj Holzwarth said that people have a special responsibility for the planet.
“We’re not protestors, but protectors- of our land and our waters, which I believe is our original reason for being on this earth is to be stewards of the planet. And we have lost our way with that to such a point in a few hundred years, to almost wipe out all life on the planet in such a short period of time. So I think that it’s an inspiring time to be alive and all of our our non-profit organizations, all our indigenous tribes from around the world are all saying the same thing,” said Holzwarth.
Bjorn Olson said that Alaskans have a unique motivation to stand up for climate change causes.
“Here in Alaska, these issues resound with us. We can very easily relate to the effects of intensive oil and gas development in Alaska. And climate change is deeply impacting our cultures and way of life here, and so we come out today to show solidarity with those people who are fighting in the Dakotas for the same issue,” said Olson.
Julia Person said that while climate change is important, her solidarity with Standing Rock is also about fighting racism.
“Look at how the people are being treated by the police and so on. That’s why a lot of my friends are going down there, people from Homer are going down there to stand with them. Because you have a lot of privilege as a white person, you might as well stand up for the things you believe in, and stand with the Native Americans, so they’re not alone in this,” said Person.
Clashes between police and demonstrators in North Dakota, who call themselves water protectors, have resulted in hundreds of arrests. Law enforcement officers have used mace, pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets on them.
In downtown Anchorage, about 50 demonstrators gathered at Town Square Park Tuesday to protest Wells Fargo for financing the project, chanting "water is life." Protests were also held downtown Juneau.
